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This brief reports on a rapid assessment of labor demand in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to help understand the impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The analysis uses job postings at leading online job portals in the two countries. Governments ramp up efforts to support vulnerable businesses, workers, and people through social protection measures. However, with the limited fiscal space in developing Asia, expanding access to social protection measures requires better targeting based on real-time labor market data. Analysis of online job portal data could provide valuable input to help guide policy direction without a time lag.

Key points: Job postings in the largest online job matching sites in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have largely declined since the COVID-19 outbreak: in April 2020, the number of job postings was only 13 per cent of the total jobs posted in April 2019 for Bangladesh and 30 per cent for Sri Lanka. The trend in online job applications in Bangladesh also follows a similar trajectory. Continuous monitoring of online job market indicators is necessary in the coming months to understand the impacts of the lockdowns and possible resumption of economic activities; (2) All industries reduced new job postings significantly. The decline has been rapid in the Bangladesh textile industry. After a catastrophic decline, Sri Lanka's tourism and hospitality industries have shown no sign of recovery with negligible job postings. In both countries, although the situation needs to be monitored continuously, the information and communication technology industry might show signs of recovery, the first among several industries; (3) Online job portal data can fill the gap in the current labor market monitoring system by providing time series job posting information in real time. The portal data can reflect rapid labor demand changes, although the data are not representative of the entire labor market, and reflect very little of rural jobs and self-employment.

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Prior to the pandemic, there was an adoption rate of 36 per cent for online learning in Sri Lanka. The brief notes that 60 per cent-70 per cent of major technical and vocational education and training (TVET) courses continued via online learning since the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 outbreak. However, the quality of learning could drop significantly due to difficulty in conducting practical training online and the lack of internet access and digital devices. In addition, TVET graduates in the tourism and hospitality sector as well as self-employed TVET graduates have been the hardest hit.

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This brief explores new challenges and opportunities that are emerging amid the prolonged, partial, or full university closures in Sri Lanka due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It summarizes the findings from the second online higher education survey conducted by the Asian Development Bank in November-December 2021 to better understand the progress, persistent challenges, and perceptions of different stakeholders. It provides an update on user experiences in online higher education in the country. The first online higher education survey was conducted in June 2020.

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Sri Lanka made a remarkable transition to online tertiary education after closing its higher education institutions in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. According to the universities surveyed, nearly 90 per cent of student respondents have been able to access online education. The lack of consistently stable, high-speed internet access was the most significant challenge for students and faculty in continuing tertiary education during the early onset of COVID-19. This brief outlines lessons and opportunities to improve online learning modalities based on the experiences of Sri Lanka on the transition to online tertiary education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Sri Lanka has made improving access to quality tertiary education a top priority under its new economic framework. But the pandemic has resulted in emerging issues and challenges given the need for a radical shift toward online learning. This brief underscores the need to step up policies and measures for equal access to online learning that caters to and addresses the needs of education institutions, faculty, and students.

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